Research Director

Hello, we’re The Planning Shop -

As an insights-led brand consultancy, we help the healthcare industry decode the hearts and minds of HCPs, caregivers and consumers to reveal insights that impact the trajectory of their brand. What makes us different is how we connect the dots between human truth, behaviour change and market potential, ultimately empowering strategic choice.

As a global team with headquarters both in London and Philadelphia, we boast a flexible virtual workplace that attracts the best talent from anywhere.

As part of the Omnicom Health Group, we offer the personal high touch of a boutique agency, with the muscle of a major holding company. We agree that talent is equally distributed, and we’re focused on developing diverse teams that can bring the best solutions to everything we do. We strongly believe that celebrating what makes us different makes us better together.

The Role -

The Research Director must be an experienced people manager who is a strategic thinker and has strong client management / business development skills. This individual should have good understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and strong knowledge and experience in personally executing primary market research. The RD participates in or leads internal initiatives during the year in line with our strategy.

Research Excellence And Consulting Skills

Leads on multiple qualitative and/or quantitative, US and international projects from RFP to debrief

Specifically:

• Autonomously delivers high-quality research projects, with minimum oversight from a Project Consultant
• Leads internal project team and acts as the day-to-day client face of The Planning Shop
• Models excellence in and ensures that all project work is undertaken to the highest standard – including, but not limited to:
• Screener, questionnaire and discussion development, interviewing, tabulation specifications, analysis and insight generation, writing of reports and presentations.
• Designs creative research solutions with ability to pull-through relevant principles of behavioural science and brand-building
• Acts as a trusted adviser and partner to clients – including, but not limited to:
• Providing guidance on how to tackle their business challenges and making recommendations on best research solutions to meet their needs
• Connecting the dots between the study, the business objective, the TA/market opportunity and the strategic implications from the research
• Effectively manages and develops researchers throughout the project (and beyond) encouraging learning and development
• Is an expert on The Planning Shop methods and techniques
• Provides support to research teams on The Planning Shop methods
• Is responsible for ensuring project delivery is within budget
• Works closely with and appropriately leverages the skills and experience of TPS specialist experts in e.g., behavioural science, brand planning, Rare COE, Oncology COE, Quant COE
• Writes complete, client-ready and successful proposals for qualitative and quantitative studies
• Oversees costing process and understands how to price studies appropriately
• Deep understanding of one or more therapy areas (e.g., oncology, CNS, cardio-metabolic, rare)
  
  
  

Client Service and Business Growth

Helps drive growth of the company by attracting repeat business and developing new business

Specifically:

• Ensures high levels of client service and satisfaction achieved on all projects
• Develops, maintains and models excellence in building strong relationships with clients to drive repeat business
• Proactively reaches out to clients to identify future opportunities for partnership
• Leads / actively contributes to tactical and strategic account planning activities of key accounts, either as the Account Lead or as part of an Account Team(s)
• As the Account Lead or as part of an Account Team(s), demonstrates clear understanding of account plan, financial performance, and own role in achieving account targets
• In partnership with the Account Teams/and or Global Client Lead, identifies and attracts new clients to the organization and expands into new areas (e.g., therapy franchises) of more established clients
• Stays updated on industry news that would impact the accounts and clients they work on
• Leads client out-reach, pitches and creds presentations to grow the TPS business
• Demonstrates wider understanding of pod contribution target, plays integral role in achieving target and supports Pod Leaders in identifying opportunities and challenges in achieving the target
  
  
  

People Leadership

Models leadership behaviours within the company and helps create an environment in which our people can flourish

Specifically:

• Line manages multiple individuals, with responsibility for over-seeing their learning and development, workload, employee engagement/health and career progression
• Flexes leadership and collaboration style as needed and inspires and activates others to bring their best
• Works effectively within and across teams; respecting and striving to cultivate the value each person brings to the project
• Models, coaches and trains leadership behaviours and actively participates in and contributes to Pod Meetings
• Understands the intersection between the business need and people needs
• Is an ambassador of the company and pod structure, and advocates for the people within the context of the business
• Models and mentors others in how to succeed at The Planning Shop
• Has a growth mindset and regularly and proactively shares feedback to or invites feedback from individuals and their line managers
• Inputs into and helps operationalize the resourcing decisions made by Pod Leaders and/or Global Operations
  
  
  

General

• Participates in or leads internal initiatives during the year in line with our strategy e.g., staff learning and development, innovation, centers of excellence, social committee or other ad hoc initiatives
• Manages own time efficiently and effectively, and has a recovery rate for project, proposal and business development time spent that is in line with guidelines for job role
• Additional assignments as needed
  
  
  

What You’ll Need

• Strong client handling and negotiation skills
• Strong line management and people development skills
• Minimum of 6-8 years’ experience working in a market research agency
• Time spent with pharmaceutical focus
• Experience in multiple therapeutic areas
• At least 2 years at Associate Director level
• General understanding of business operations
• Advanced communication and organizational skills
• Excellent qualitative and/or quantitative research skills
• Strong internal drive and sense of accountability and ownership
• Strong skills and passion for business development
• Outgoing personality, creative, curious, collaborative, detail-oriented
• Bachelor’s Degree
  
  
  

Why you’ll be successful at The Planning Shop

• You build strong relationships with key stakeholders in the US and the UK, particularly the Pod Leads, Account Leads and support functions (Compliance, Finance, Operations)
• You demonstrate equal passion between people, business acumen and research excellence
• You embrace a coaching leadership style that is equal parts high support/high challenge
• You’re a team player who elevates those around them versus a one person show – you help all boats rise
• You represent our core values:
• We’re insatiably curious
• We cultivate creativity
• We’re future facing
• We win or we learn
• We versus me
  
  
  

The range below represents the low and high end of the base salary someone in this role may earn as an employee of an Omnicom Health Group company in the United States. Salaries will vary based on various factors including but not limited to professional and academic experience, training, associated responsibilities, and other business and organizational needs. The range listed is just one component of our total compensation package for employees. Salary decisions are dependent on the circumstances of each hire.

• $120,000 - $150,000
  
  
  

Omnicom Health Group is committed to hiring and developing exceptional talent. We agree that talent is equally distributed, and we’re focused on developing diverse teams that can bring the best solutions to everything we do. We strongly believe that celebrating what makes us different makes us better together. Join us—we look forward to getting to know you.